The Heliport donor wall is located in the Wellness Centre in the walkway going toward the hospital. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Mat Barrett

Donor Wall

Donor wall unveiled in Melfort Wellness Centre to honour heliport contributors

Feb 10, 2021 | 3:38 PM

A metaphorical bow has been tied on the Melfort Heliport project.

After fundraising kicked off in January 2020, donors from across the region did their part to help make a heliport at the Melfort Hospital a reality. The heliport’s construction was completed November 2020 and Transport Canada granted its stamp of approval at the end of that month.

On Feb. 11 a donor wall was unveiled to honour all those who financially contributed to the project that was expected to cost around $600,000. The donor wall splits them into groups based on contribution amounts. The ‘Lead Pilot Donor’ donor was Redhead Equipment who contributed over $100,000 to the project. The other donation categories are labelled Co-Pilot, Lifesavers, Flight Crew, Responder and other titles.

Scott Vanderlinde, agriculture director of sales for Redhead in Melfort and Prince Albert, who was at the event on behalf of Redhead Equipment president and CEO Gary Redhead, highlighted the importance of putting money back into the community for projects like this.

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“When you look at the rural communities, and how many lives it’ll save, we just don’t know how many people that will touch.,” Vanderlinde said.

Scott Vanderlinde, agriculture director of sales for Melfort and Prince Albert, attended the donor wall unveiling on behalf of Redhead Equipment. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

This isn’t the first major donation that Redhead Equipment has made to STARS Air Ambulance. Since STARS’s inception in Saskatchewan in 2012, Redhead has donated upwards of $3 million to various projects across the province.

STARS provincial director of operations, Cindy Seidl, also attended the event. She said the heliport saves STARS around 30 minutes in emergency scenarios.

“The time and difference that this will make to the care that we can provide to the citizens of this community and surrounding communities is unbelievable,” Seidl told northeastNOW. “So thank you.”

STARS has already used the Melfort Heliport for an emergency ‘inter-facility transfer.’

The Melfort Health Advocacy Committee (MHAC) teamed up with the North Central Health Care Foundation (NCHCF) for the project, and it ultimately raised more than $750,000.

Chair of the MHAC, Rod Gantefoer said it’s great to see the community get together and support the project.

“I guess the proof is in the pudding,” he said. “If you’ve got a good project and you approach it with enthusiasm, you’re going to get the support.”

Seidl called Gantefoer a great leader and said when someone like that is at the helm, the sky is the limit.

STARS Provincial Director of Operations Cindy Seidl (Left) with MHAC Chair Rod Gantefoer (Right) at the donor wall unveiling. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

Gantefoer told northeastNOW he approached Redhead Equipment very early on in the donation process because of its history with STARS, and Gantefoer’s history assisting with STARS’s fundraising efforts.

The extra funds raised from the project will go to the NCHCF for future projects to improve health care in the region.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6